Ras Kass- Institutionalized
First off I'd like to say that the tracklisting on this album is screwed up, but I've managed to figure out what song's or what and I have it correct in my review. Also despite what the tracklisting say's this album thankfully doesn't have that many features. Most of the guy's the tracklisting states are featured are actually just performing intro's or outro's.
1. Intro: MTV News/ It's The Bizness- This song start's off with a skit of Sway talking about Ras on MTV News. Sway talk's about Ras' legal troubles with his label and explains the deal with him getting locked up. "But the big question surrounding him is 'what this mutha fucka gonna do now?'" End's the newsbreak and the song "It's The Bizness" immediately start's. The beat is hard as fuck. Definitely something you could bump and just wild out on. And Razzy doesn't dissapoint lyrically coming with sick lines like "I'm like The Thing in these street's. I'm just harder then ya'll." "I'm a walkng septic tank" and my personal fav "When I die bury me bucket naked face down in the grass. So I can fuck the world while ya'll kiss my ass!" Dope intro. 8.5/10
2. Air Em' Out- I posted this song up on RB a while back. It got a pretty decent response from the people who responded, but this version is of much better quality and doesn't have those gay ass DJ tag's. The beat's pretty dope and definately has a rock influence in it. Ras comes nice lyrically spitting sit like "And my babymom's said I need to cut down on my cheatin. Started fucking midgets, kept creepin. with a lot of refrences to movies. He also spit's a hot hook with some Ether refrences in it as Ras flow's "I will not lose." 8.5/10
3. Slap Season feat. Jellyroll- The beat to this song pretty dope. The drum's are definately headnodding material the piano key's also sound nice and the beat itself just gives off stressful and hopeless vibes, as so does Ras' lyrics. "Trying not to spit random. Bust at Eve in the Phantom ricochet and hit Adam." "They say men don't cry. Then why this shit leakin' out my eye? Everyday's a good day to die." "Bottles filled with liquified coke. Make the sign of the cross and die with the Pope." Jellyroll also provides a nice hook with his soulful voice and a sample from Dave Chapelle's parody of Rick James. 9.5/10
4. Flood- This song has a kinda clubby sound to it. Definately sound's like it might've be Southern influenced. The melody of the song kinda makes it sound like it could be a single, and it definately sound's like it was produced to be bumped. Ras still manages to come up with some nice lines and also talk's some shit about Capitol "They say my master's cost Capitol 1.2 million. Must've felt real stupid when they walked out the buildin. Haha on to bigger and better. Cause hell hath no fury like a nigga with chedda." Ras also steal's a page out of Game's book when he talk's about fucking Christina Millian. A nice song, though not Ras' best lyrically. 7.5/10
5. Expect Me- This song start's off with a sample from Chronicles of Riddick when the guy is explaining the difference between inmates and convicts and when he ask's Riddick which one he states that his only passing through. Another dope beat and Ras provides a catchy hook that's also sick as all hell, make's a dope Spongebob Squarepants simile and also spit's some ill ass verses along which is aided by his dopeass flow.
"I never claimed to gang bang the hardest.
I only claimed to spit the farthest.
And hit the target.
Wake up to the smell of gunpowder the clip's just farted
WELCOME TO LA
It just get's retarded when the shit get's started
Nigga's kiss the garbage lead hit's the cardlidge
Weapon's get discarded.
Catch me with a Persian chick.
Who kiss saphordic."
He also make's say's what he has to say about the Sources little Negro Please column he was featured in. 9/10
6. Put Ya Glass Out- Another South-inspired beat here. Ras isn't at his best though he still come's dope lyrically and also might've taken a small shot at Kanye after he said Soul On Ice wasn't a classic in an interview. "Fucka Limelight. I'm twice the Rapper's ya'll are. I shoud've been signed twice. Source cover nine mic's." If you recall from Two Words Kanye had a line similair to that. Anyway, it's another decent song, and it definately sound's like something to pump from the speakers. 7/10
7. Write Where I Left Off- This is the first song I heard on the album the really took me back to Ras from his Soul On Ice day's. The beat's dope and eerie and Ras start's off me criticizeing all the lame Rapper's out there who all copy eachother, and also explains what a homonym is so maybe they can do somthing with it. He also comes up with some nice lines like "Still Soul on Ice just put ice on the soul." "And if you not Black go figure. Pronouce you dead in the E.R. for pronouncing the E R in the word Nigga." He bring's his superiority over wack Rapper's up again in the hook which is nicely done and has some sick lines in it. One of my favorite song's on the album. 10/10
8. Shine- This song has a Jay-Z sample from Reasonable Doubt in the hook. Here Ras talk's about his life in prison a bit and brings up some social issues with nice lines like: "Hate is pivotal. Rehibiliation is hypocritical. And not to sign cynical. But all you learn in Prison is how to be a better criminal." "Lucy's cost two dollar's. Roll tabocco in Bible paper's then lit em. Nigga's is athiest jokin they got the word in em." The hook is extremely dope and it sound's like one of the song's Ras might've wrote in Prison. Lyrically the song is great, the only problem is while the beat isn't bad it doesn't totally convey the same message Ras' lyrics do, which furthers my thought's of this being a song he wrote whilst locked up. 10/10
9. Clayton Bixby Skit 1- Just a skit from Chapelle Show about the blind racist Klan member who happened to be Black.
10. No Love feat. Xavie- Song start's off with Whoo Kid's gay talking. He basically seem's that if he think's this song's good you know it's dope and that the West is back. Ras comes up with some sick lines like:
"Live fast and die hard like Dale Earnhart.
My pen write fire, my fingerprint's scarred
I cremate my left arm every 15 bars."
And:
"They want a young nigga back in the slamma.
I hate black and white so much I bust a handgun at a Panda."
Xavie provide's a decent bridge. Overall a pretty good song. 8.5/10
11. More- Another club song here. Ras still manages to come off nicely with lines like "Ladies get high cholesterol I talk greasy." And may also be taking a few subliminal shots, though I really don't know who he may be talking about. Even though song is cleary meant to bounce and maybe shake your ass too Ras' lyrics give off a vibe of the anti hero compared to what a lot of other club song's content include "Murder rink status. And I don't do pimp cup's, khaki suit's, or sing ballet's." It's pretty much a bragging track. 7.5/10
12. Life & Bullshit- The tracklisting on the CD say's this song is My Apology, but after hearing the CD it's clearly the song which is located three track's below on the listing. Ras comes with some dope insightful verses here basically talking about the his life and the life of other's. "You got life and bullshit twisted. Get your grown man on. This is grown folk's business." 9/10
13. My Apology- The beat to this song is pretty dope, definately has some Jazz influence in it. Ras hit's up some dope verses, the second one being about a bitch who never respected or believed in him, which turn's out to be a metaphor for Capitol records. The hook's pretty nice with a sample of some guy singing one of us has to say their sorry and Razzy pretty much denies doing so. 9.5/10
14. U Ain't Me feat. Chamillionaire, Xzibit, and Krondon (of Strong Arm Steady)- Ill shit here. Krondon provides a nice bridge with his dark voice and delivery, and Chamillionaire sing's an extremely ill hook, seriously if Rapping never worked out for Cham he could have definately made it as a singer. Cham also provides a verse and in my opinion rip's his shit (though I think I'm in the minority of Chamillionaire fans here), Xzibit attacks with his verse with a ferocious flow and delivery accompanied by his gruff menancing voice. Ras also comes with sick verse of course with nice lines like "Tie a sheet to the wing. I bungee jump out a 747, 2005 9/11." With the line of artist on this song and the rawness of the beat it's definately a certified banger and a dope listen. 9/10
15. Look Alive feat. Strong Arm Steady and Young Buck- This is pretty much a gangsta track. Young Buck and Strong Arm Steady come pretty nice. I gotta say Buck came doper then I expected actually. Ras comes nicely of course. And I would also like to point out that Phil Da Agony from Strong Arm has mad potential. 8.5/10
16. Clayton Bixby Skit 2- Another sample from the Chapelle show skit.
17. Unconditional feat. Mystic- This is pretty much a song about what else? Unconditional love. Here Ras talk's about all the people who were alway's there for him and that's why he has unconditional love for them and also talks about how his thankful for the friend's he had. The beat's nice and emotional and Mystic provides some nice singing in the Hook. 10/10
18. We Run The Streets feat. Crooked I, El Dog, Spider Loc, 40 Glocc, Cali Casino- Song start's off with a Dark V sample from Star War's. Everyone comes nicely the beat's definately bump worthy though the sample annoy's me in my headphones a bit. The hook's catchy as fuck. Though no one really comes wack Ras and Crooked are cleary years above the other guy's. 8/10
19. Welcome Home- Here Ras obviously talk's about when he got out of the jail. The beat's pretty nice and Ras talk's about how his thankful his out but he still has a lot of nigga's stuck in the cell and also makes some social commentary. At the end of the song he checks a message from his parole officer who tell's him if he doesn't personally see him in his office before the 28th of this month his going to personally put up a warrant for his arrest. 8.5/10
Ratings:
Lyrics: 8.5/10
Beats: 9/10
Overall: 8.5/10
http://www.undergroundhiphop.com/sto...UPC=RK354771CD
